One of the best monitors for photo editing is an important investment if you care about colour accuracy in you images. Even enthusiast photographers will want reasonable colour coverage and accuracy to truly enjoy their images, but if you're a professional photographer handing work off to clients, these factors are crucial.
Screens vary in their brightness, uniformity and level of colour coverage and accuracy, which means images can look different on different displays. The best monitors for photo editing can help ensure your photos look the way you expect when they appear on another device or in print, while editing on an inadequate screen, or even a good screen that's not been calibrated, can result in images that can be over or undersaturated or that have details you didn't notice.
The best monitors for photo editing can avoid that by supporting wide colour spaces such as Adobe RGB, accurate colours and adjustable brightness and contrast.
Below we've pick out our choices of the best monitors for photo editing based on our own reviews, recommendations from photographers, stated specs, including colour coverage and accuracy and any specific useful features for photo editing. We've included screens at different price points to provide options for enthusiasts as well as professionals.
Some of the more expensive monitors come with their own calibration tools, but those that don't will require use of one of the best monitor calibrator tools to keep it checked (screen output can change over the display's life, so it's best to calibrate your monitor regularly).
Most photographers today want to work on 4K (UHD) screens, especially those who also work with video. Most of our recommendations here offer UHD resolution, but we also have a specific guide to the best 4K monitors if you want more options. We also have a guide to the best monitors for video editing and the best touchscreen monitors (some photographers find a tactile screen useful for making selections).
The best monitors for photo editing today
Why you can trust Creative Bloq Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
We rate the BenQ SW321C as the best monitor for photo editing overall. It's not cheap by any means, but it's not the most expensive screen either, offering a good balance between price and quality – because the quality is fantastic. It boasts 99% Adobe RGB, 100% sRGB and 95% P3 gamut coverage, and you can quickly switch between colour spaces thanks to a separate control unit. And the screen comes expertly calibrated, although it also offers hardware calibration independent of your computer.
We've found the colour precision and uniformity across the screen to be close to faultless, and when combined with the detail of the 4K display, this is a screen that allows you to view your work in glorious detail. There are plenty of other useful touches. The Paper Color Sync mode helps you create a colour space based on your printer and paper type for more accurate previewing, while M Book mode makes the screen more closely match a MacBook Pro to allow easy transition between screens. The monitor supports USB-C with power delivery up to 60W, so you can connect a laptop and get power and data over a single cable.
See our full BenQ SW321C review for more details.
If a stunningly specced monitor like the BenQ screen above is way too much of an outlay for where you are in your photography career (or hobby) at the moment, then this LG monitor should appeal. At under $300 / £300, it's very reasonably priced, but there's much to like in the specs too. It offers 98% coverage of the sRGB space, which is plenty for many, especially if you're not editing professionally. It even includes its own colour calibration tool so you can adjust the screen for accuracy.
There's also HDR 10 compatibility plus AMD FreeSync for anyone interested in a spot of gaming when they're done editing photos, although the 60Hz refresh rate will leave some gamers struggling. The design looks a little dated, and we would like the stand to be a little sturdier.
Eizo has a reputation for being the ultimate professional photo-editing monitor brand, and the first time you see the clarity, vivacity and brightness of an Eizo display, it’s immediately obvious why – and why its photo-editing monitors are so much more expensive than those of competitors – and more expensive than most PCs.
The latest version of Eizo’s flagship 31-inch professional monitor, the Eizo ColorEdge CG319X boasts an unmatched 24-bit look-up table for 10-bit colour depth, supporting 99% AdobeRGB, 100% Rec.709 and 98% DCI-P3 colour spaces. It also supports a slightly wider 4K resolution of 4096 x 2160, conforming to the professional DCI 4K standard used by some professional studios.
It has a unique built-in hardware colour calibration tool that pops down with a click every time the monitor is power cycled, ensuring the colours remain in sync without needing to use a third-party colourimeter. And new to this generation are hybrid-log gamma and perceptual quantisation for working with HDR video – something that will be of most interest to studios and freelancers working with high-end imagery. The ColorNavigator 7 colour management software can be used by teams to ensure accuracy across a project.
The CG319X is designed – and priced – for a niche professional audience that needs the best possible colour, and when we tested it for ourselves, we found that it certainly delivers, offering phenomenal colour accuracy and excellent features in a solid, sturdy, if not particularly exciting looking build. Most of us will skip this option after taking one glance at the price, but if money is no object, this is the best monitor for photo editing you can buy, only placing at number 3 because of the cost. See our full, in-depth Eizo ColorEdge CG319X review for more details.
This LG monitor has a lot going for it indeed. First off, it's a big 32-inch 4K screen packed with pixels. It offers 95% P3 colour gamut support, HDR compatibility (though the brightness is fairly low at 350 nits), and even, accurate images that look truly authentic. It also boasts great connections, including USB Type-C.
But it's the 'Ergo' part that really sets it apart in our eyes. The adjustable arm allows you to position the monitor however you want in terms of height, rotation, tilt and how far forward you want it. The pillar support clamps to the back of your desk, so it actually leaves you more space on the desk too. We find it a delight to work with, although we recognise that not everyone will use this flexibility.
You'll be hard pressed to find a certified colour-accurate sRGB monitor at a cheaper price than the ASUS PA279CV. This 27-inch IPS display offers 100% of the sRGB photo colour space and 100% of the Rec. 709 video colour space. With, a Delta-E colour accuracy of less than 2 and factory colour calibration, it offers broad, accurate colour at a great price. There's a decent array of connections too, with HDMI, DisplayPort, and USB-C delivering 65W to power a connected laptop. The stand provides tilt, swivel, pivot, and height adjustment, making this an all-round gem of a screen.
We generally recommend going for a reasonably large screen (between 27 and 34in when choosing the best monitor for photo editing, but that can be a challenge if you don't have the desk space (or don't have the office space for a larger desk!). But the HP M24FW is rather unique in that it's a relatively small screen with very respectable color space coverage, and it's also an absolute bargain, costing $150 – $200 / £120 – £150.
It offers 99% sRGB color space coverage and the colour and contrast consistency that comes with IPS LCD screen tech. It even looks rather smart with its sleek stand stand and narrow bezels. The Full HD (1920 x 1080) screen resolution is nothing special, but it's high enough to keep things looking crisp on a display this size. Connectivity is limited to just a single HDMI port and an old-school VGA port, but that does mean compatibility with older computers should be simple.
Ultra-wide monitors are usually aimed at gaming or general computer use, so it’s nice to see ViewSonic offering graphic artists a massive 37.5-inch 21:9 display with the VP3881. Ultra-wide displays such as this are like having two smaller monitors together on the desk, without a bezel breaking up the desktop space. It gives you space to have multiple windows open at once, boosting productivity as you can view webpages, file explorers and multiple editing applications simultaneously.
The image quality isn’t quite in the same league as other displays listed here – it offers 100% sRGB coverage but a slightly narrower AdobeRGB conformity, and the 10-bit colour depth is compensated by frame reference counting. However, the monitor has a complete set of image customisation settings in the on-screen menus that's enough to make the VP3881 a cut above other ultra-wide screens.
We were a little disappointed when we reviewed the new Apple Studio Display. Only a 60hz refresh rate, no HDR, and you have to pay extra if you want to be able to adjust the height. Also, while a built-in webcam of any kind on a monitor is a relative rarity, that on the Apple Studio Display is a bit mediocre.
All that aside, however, when it comes to editing photos, this monitor is not a bad choice, especially if you're a fan of Apple products and you're looking for an option to pair with a Mac mini or to expand the screen on your MacBook Pro. The 5K screen offers great clarity, and colour and brightness are consistent, which are the main priorities when it comes to photo editing.
Read more details are our full Apple Studio Display review.
How to choose the best monitor for photo editing
There several things to consider and look out for when you're choosing a monitor for photo editing. Some of the most important are to decide what size monitor you want. There are also minimum requirements you should look for in terms of resolution and colour accuracy. We'll discuss some of those questions below.
Why do I need to choose one of the best monitors for photo editing?
Images look different on different screens because displays differ in their colour coverage and accuracy. That means that if the screen you work on has poor colour coverage and accuracy, your work could look very different on a different screen or when printed out.
Good colour coverage is especially important if you're doing HSL adjustments and colour grading. While you can't guarantee what screen your clients or public will use to see your photos, you can at least ensure that you're own screen is allowing you to make the most accurate edit possible.
Which is the best monitor for photo editing?
The very best monitor for photo editing in our view is the Eizo ColorEdge CG319X at number three in our list above. We only place it at number three rather than at the top because we've also taken price into consideration, and monitors such as this are simply not an option for many enthusiasts, and even for many professionals.
We currently recommend the BenQ SW321C as the best monitor for photo editing for those looking for a balance between professional specs and a slightly more accessible price.
What size monitor should I use for photo editing?
One important thing to consider when buying a monitor for photo editing is the size of screen that you want to work on. Many displays come in the standard 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio, although a taller screen (or a screen that you can rotate like the LG Ultrafine Ergo in our list above) can be useful for editing images in portrait orientation.
Ultra-wide monitors will give you a lot more screen space to work on so that you can have multiple windows or panels open, but they aren't necessarily the best for focused work. They also take up a huge amount of space. Generally, we find that most photographers like editing on a monitor that's between 27in and 32in.
What monitor resolution do I need for photo editing?
Very simply, the higher the resolution, the better the sharpness and detail of the image, but that depends on the size of the monitor – and of course, higher resolution monitors are usually more expensive. When looking to pick the best monitor for photo editing, we would recommend going for a resolution of 4K (3,840 x 2,160) if you can afford it.
Most of the screens in our list of the best monitors for photo editing are 4K displays (double check that your PC or Mac supports 4K resolution if it's quite an old device), but we have also included an QHD and FHD screen, both much more affordable while still offering the good colour coverage you want for photo editing.
Do I need a 4K monitor for photo editing?
Not at all. We recommend using a 4K screen since it will offer a sharper, cleaner and more detailed image if the screen is large enough, and since 4K monitors have become more affordable, it's not so much of a difficult decision. But if you prefer a smaller screen (less than 27 inches), then you're not going to see much of a difference between 4K and FHD, and the interface scaling may make things too small to be comfortable.
What else should I consider in a monitor for photo editing?
If you're buying a monitor for photo editing, colour is vital and it's a good idea to look for a that display supports colour spaces like Adobe sRGB. You'll also want a uniform brightness across the screen. The best monitors for photo editing include their own calibration tools, but this is not an essential since you can also buy an external monitor calibrator to perform regulator calibration of your screen.
Connectivity is a key issue, too – many monitors have HDMI, but some also support Thunderbolt or USB-C meaning you can have a single cable going to your PC or Mac that powers it and also carries the display signal. Whichever monitor your choose, you'll want to make sure you regularly calibrate it using one of the best monitor calibrators. And if your workspace has harsh lighting, you might want to consider applying an anti-reflective coating too.
What colour coverage do I need for photo editing
In the specs for the monitors above we've listed the colour coverage that each provides. What colour coverage you need for your photo editing will depend on whether you're a professional or enthusiast. Monitor colour coverage can a confusing topic at first because several different colour spaces exist, and some of these contain more colours than others.
A colour space is a specific organisation of colours which, in combination with colour profiling, supports reproducible representations of colour. Looking at the best monitors for photo editing, you'll see that they cover a percentage of different colour spaces – the higher the percentage, the more of that colour space they can produce. Colour spaces include sRGB, Adobe RGB,
Why it can be confusing is that one monitor might be certified at 100% sRGB, the standard 8-bit colour space for web display, but that still isn't the best colour colour coverage possible. The Adobe RGB spectrum and DCI-P3 are broader spaces than sRGB, thus with more colours. As a general rule, we'd advise choosing a monitor for photo editing that covers at least 90% of sRGB and 70% of Adobe RGB. These colour spaces are industry standards. Professionals, especially those working on projects that go to print or involve working with other photo editors will want higher than this – ideally over 90% of Adobe RGB.
Which is the best type of monitor for photo editing?
You'll notice that the monitors that we've listed above include two types of display: IPS (in-plane switching) and LCD (liquid crystal display). These aren't two different things, but rather IPS is a more advanced form of LCD. IPS screens solve problems with the accurate reproduction of images from narrow viewing angles, helping to retain brightness, sharpness and colour accuracy at off-axis viewing.
Read more:
- 4K vs 8K monitors: Which one should you buy?
- The best monitors for MacBook Pro
- The best cloud storage
